Intellectual Property

In contrast to the US, European copyright systems are still oriented towards outdated analogue models and suffer from inflexible standards. While the main policy initiatives for regulating copyright systems take place on the national level, the EU is attempting to resolve the ongoing gridlock surrounding the issue of how to adjust the European copyright systems to the digital age. Recently the EU Commission launched a public consultation, asking stakeholders for their opinion on changing the EU’s copyright framework.

Despite – or because of – a remarkable number of more than 11,000 submissions, politicians struggle to find a starting point in the discussion between internet users appearing to violate copyrights unwittingly and corporations advocating for the traditional legal system. The political system in the EU leading market in Germany has especially suffered from this irreconcilable debate, bringing reform efforts on the EU level to a standstill.